Three residents of the Vologda region were convicted of fraud against a participant in the special military operation

The Veliky Ustyug Interdistrict Prosecutor’s Office supported the state prosecution in the criminal case against two men and a woman. The court found them guilty under Part 4 of Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation — fraud committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy on an especially large scale.

The court established that the defendants, by abusing trust, induced a participant in the special military operation to enter into a sham marriage with the 54-year-old female defendant. They then persuaded him to establish paternity in relation to her minor child and sign a power of attorney to carry out actions on behalf of the victim concerning the disposal of property and money.

After that, more than 1.3 million rubles were stolen from a bank account opened in the victim’s name. The illegal activity was stopped by officers of the FSB Directorate and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Vologda region.

At the court hearing, the defendants fully admitted guilt and compensated the damage caused. The 47-year-old defendant was sentenced to 4 years in prison, the 27-year-old to 3 years and 6 months, and the 54-year-old woman to 3 years; they will serve their sentences in a general-regime correctional colony.

Earlier, the Veliky Ustyug District Court declared the marriage between the participant in the special military operation and the 54-year-old woman invalid, and the paternity record was removed from the birth certificate of the minor child.